Lions fall to Gaston Day in triple overtime

Spartans hang on for 113-110 win over ACA

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 20, 2021

As the final seconds of the fourth quarter ticked off the clock in the gymnasium at Asheville Christian Academy on Nov. 19, there was still plenty of more basketball to be played between the Lions and visiting Gaston Day.

Three overtime periods later, the 3-0 Spartans would emerge as victors in a tightly contested 113-110 win over ACA, which fell to 2-2 on the season.

The loss was the second straight for the Lions, who opened the 2021-22 season with consecutive victories over Concord Academy and Cary Christian, before falling to Legacy Early College (S.C.), Nov. 17. They were facing a Gaston Day team that posted dominant performances in both their previous contests.

Five Lions posted double-digit scoring totals in the contest, led by senior guard James Wilkins III, who finished with 32 points. Junior Dante Oliver added 19 points of his own, while junior big man Dyllan Barnwell totaled 18.

Neither team established a significant lead in the first half, and ACA, boosted by 11 points from senior De’Ante Green, held a 32-30 advantage at the break. Green would finish the game with 16 points after fouling out in overtime. The teams exchanged leads throughout the second half before the Spartans pulled ahead, 71-69, in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Wilkins responded by evening the score for ACA in the final seconds of regulation.

The Lions established a 6-point lead in overtime, but the Spartans cut it to 3 before tying the game, 84-84, with a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Gaston Day established a 96-91 advantage in the second overtime before a Wilkins shot from the beyond the arc put the Lions within 2. A Spartans turnover on the ensuing possession set up another game-tying bucket for Wilkins that sent the game into a third overtime.

ACA scored the first basket to open the final overtime period, but Gaston Day responded with a 7-0 run on its way to a 103-98 advantage. While the Lions battled back to within 2, the defense of the Spartans secured the victory in the closing seconds.

The defending NCISAA 3A State champion Lions will look to end their two-game slide, Saturday, Nov. 20, when they host 4-0 Greensboro Day School.

Photos of ACA’s win over Gaston Day can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.